84 THE VIVARIUM. 
graceful imaginable ; but when alarmed, its swiftness 1s so exces- 
sive that it appears as if it literally flew over the ground, and the 
observer can scarcely persuade himself that it is not a bird. It 
is very timid, and though its toes are not formed, as in the 
Geckos and Anoles, for holding on against gravity, I have seen a 
large Ameiva run with facility on the side of a dry wall, along the 
perpendicular surfaces of large stones.” The colour of this animal 
is greenish-brown, and there is a light green streak running from 
the neck along the back, widening as it grows in length; its sides 
are spotted with dusky white, underneath it is a greenish white. 
In all the specimens described above the throat is scaly, and 
there are two folds in the skin which form a kind of double 
collar. Both the Red Teguexin and the Dorsal Lizard can be 
treated in confinement in the same way as is recommended for 
the Common Teguexin. 
The Lacertide family, which numbers among its members 
the English and other well-known Lizards, contains about 
seventeen genera and some ninety-seven species, all of which 
are natives of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the East Indies; but 
strangely enough they are not found in the island of Madagascar. 
They are most abundant in Africa. 
The Lacertide may be roughly described as having the head 
covered with symmetrical shields; eyes with round pupils and 
well-developed eyelids ; distinct ear-openings ; four well-developed 
limbs, each limb being provided with a foot possessing five clawed 
toes; a very long, fragile tail, often twice the length of the body ; 
generally femoral pores ; teeth that are pleurodont, and hollowed 
atthe base; and a long, flat, forked tongue. 
The genus Lacerta is the most familiar of the Lacertide, and 
of this genus the Eyed Lizard (Lacerta ocellata, Fig. 38) is the 
largest representative, and certainly not one of the least hand- 
some; indeed, the colourmg and markings of the young of the 
species may be justly described as beautiful. J. ocellata some- 
times reaches a length of 20in., the tail being considerably longer 
than the rest of the body. Like all the Lacerte, it has a well- — 
marked collar and femoral pores. The rostral scale (that at the 
end of the nose) enters the nostril. The scales on the back are 
small and very slightly keeled, but those on the tail are longer, 
